Institutionalization of Sustainable

Development
• Concept of sustainable development has appeared
and individualized 30 years ago, as a part of new
thinking and economic theories of 50-60 years ago,
a strong response to ecological crisis caused by
intense industrial exploitation of resources and
environmental degradation.
• This concept is an old expression of ethical
principles that define relationship between
humans and the environment as well between
present and future generations.
• Currently, the concept of sustainable
development has expanded on all aspects of life,
being a complex one and, comprehensive, both
in economic aspects, as well as social issues.
• In Stockholm in 1972, during the Conference of
Environment, was another issue raised the
impact of human activities on the environment,
a negative perspective for the planet and its
inhabitants.
• In 1987, within the United Nation, was
published Bruntland report. Known as Our
Common Future, report define sustainable
development as a viable and environmentally
supported as "Guarantee of the present
needs without compromising the ability of
this coming generations to meet their own
needs." (World Commission on Environment
and Development).
• Between 3 and 11 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
within United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development - Sustainable
development is defined as "a new
development path to support human progress
for the entire planet for a long future."
• Also then was developed Agenda 21 - a
complex and comprehensive plan for
sustainable development.
• In the European Union, sustainable development
became a priority after 1997, when the concept and its
meanings were included in the Maastricht Treaty.
• In 1999 the European Union has developed an
integrated strategy for sustainable development and a
viable set of environmental policies - European Spatial
Development Perspective.
• In 2001, the Gotheborg Summit was adopted the EU
Sustainable Development Strategy, and a year later in
Barcelona, was added an external dimension (Golusin,
Ivanovic, 2009).
• Durability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem, or
any such existing system to work continuously in an
undefined future, without reaching exhaustion of key
resources (Bran, Rojanschi, 2006).
• IUCN- the International Union for Conservation of
Nature,
• WWF - The World Wide Fund for Nature, PNABE defined,
in 1991, the concept of sustainable tourism as “all forms
of tourism development, management and marketing of
tourism that respects the integrity of natural, social and
economic environment, ensuring the exploitation of
natural and cultural resources for future generations”
“Sustainable tourism has been intended to manage all
resources, such as economic needs, social and esthetic
to be satisfied, while maintaining cultural integrity,
essential ecological processes, biological diversity and
life support systems” (World Tourism Organization).
Further developments of this concept tries to materialize
the idea of integrating the environment into economic
and social development, underlining that sustainable
development is an evolving concept and comprehensive
involving all sides of human activity (Ioncică et al, 2004).
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT -
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
The goal of sustainable development is, broadly, to find an
optimal interaction of four systems: economic, ecological
(environmental), social (human) and technological.
The optimum level of sustainable development is achieved when
the four systems support a continuous and well balanced
growth, in a dynamic and flexible process.
Sustainable development also means that economic activities
may not be based only on the idea of obtaining the benefits by
entrepreneur for short-term, but priority should be evaluated
long-term costs for society (Glăvan, 2003).
• A complex analysis of the concept of sustainable
development follows environmental issues closely related
with quality of life and population needs.
• In a broad acceptation from the sustainable development is
expected solving the great problems of humanity: poverty,
inequality, environmental degradation, increasing levels of
urban, inflation rate, unemployment, financial, geopolitical
and economic crises, or even removal traditional values.
• Sustainable development approach can be made from many
angles. Can appreciate the sustainable development on two
ways - material and spiritual.
• A sustainable development covers a number
of minimum requirements, such as resizing
growth (more equitable distribution of
resources, increased qualitative aspect of
production), eliminating poverty, controlled
demographic growth, conserve natural
resources, reorienting of technologies,
cooperation in the decision making process at
local, regional, national and international level.
Sustainability involve permanence, which means that
sustainable tourism requires the optimal use of
resources (including biodiversity), minimizing the
negative economic, sociocultural and ecological
benefits of maximizing local communities, national
economies and nature conservation.
As a natural consequence, sustainability refers to the
management structures needed to meet these goals.
• Sustainable tourism development should be
seen as an adaptive paradigm, a part of the
parental concepts of development and
sustainable development, and it should aim at
contributing to objectives of sustainable
development and development in general by
determining specific principles in the light of
its parental concepts (Tosun, 2001).
The future of sustainable tourism hinges on action
from all stakeholders. On a more pessimistic note,
current business and destination level environmental
initiatives generally fail to address tourism-induced
contributions to broader global climatic and
environmental changes (Williams, Ponsford, 2009).
A growing number of those involved, one form or
another, in tourism activities, are aware of the effects
of tourism development, the impact of these activities
on population and environment.
• In last years, ninth and tenth decades of the
twentieth century, has followed that
expansion of tourism to realize balanced
accordance with standards that guarantee
the preservation of ecological balance and
avoid overloading resources, pollution and
other negative environmental impacts.
• Tourism resources belong to the common heritage
of mankind: communities the territories which
they are situated have particular rights and
obligations in on them (from Global Code of Ethics
for Tourism, World Tourism Organization, October
1999, Santiago de Chile).
• Tourism-environment relationship is of particular
importance, protection and conservation being
important condition for progress and development
of tourism.
This relationship is complex and is manifested in two
directions:
 environment natural resources are the basic components
of tourism and tourist activities on the other hand
 has an impact both positive and negative ecological
environment, changing components.
• Sustainable tourism seeks not only environmental
protection. When we say sustainable development we
say impacts (environmental or socio-cultural, etc.), and
sustainable development requires sustainable
management of these impacts.
• Has been demonstrated over time that any type of
tourism (mass tourism or alternative), achieve to a
several impact elements, felt both by society and the
natural environment.
• It is obvious that mass tourism is responsible for
profound negative influences and visible to the
destination.
• Williams, Ponsford (2009) revealed tourism-
environment paradox, defining the relationship
between the tourism industry and the natural
environment as not easy one and on a center of
tourism policy in the future.
• The concept of sustainable development in
tourism is relatively new, emerged in the past
20 years, its adoption taking the form of
"sustainable tourism" as a branch with a
significant increase in important economic
activity, tourism industry, academic and
environment research.
• The principle of sustainable tourism is
dissociation(division) by mass tourism
dissociation and association in some ways
with some forms of alternative tourism. In
other words, sustainable tourism can be
viewed simply as opposed to classic tourism.
Sustainable tourism integrates three elements:
 quality,
 continuity and
 balance.
Quality is that sustainable tourism is a valuable experience for
visitors, in the context of improving quality of life of communities
and spotlight on the natural environment.
• Sustainable tourism cannot exist without the continuity of
natural resources, culture and customs of host communities.
• Also, sustainable tourism aims to ensure a balance between the
tourism industry, tourism and the need for environmental
enthusiasts and local communities.
Sustainable tourism is growing on a number of guiding
principles:
 access to tourism for a large number of people,
 solidarity between generations and intra-generation,
 quality,
 services environmental protection,
 Involving all stakeholders, coherent and
 congruent policy development,
 impact analysis and research results use.